1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light-ray therapeutic apparatus, and particularly relates to a light-ray therapeutic apparatus suitable for treating decubitus ulcers.
2. Related Art of the Invention
Sacral regions, greater trochanteric regions, calcaneal regions, and so on, of patients unavoidably laid up for a long time are constricted persistently so that blood circulation is locally stopped. Thus, such regions are apt to become decubitus ulcers. Such decubitus ulcers are very difficult to treat because tissue becomes necrotic.
It has been known since early times that the healing of decubitus ulcers is accelerated if the decubitus ulcers are irradiated with sunlight. However, the sunlight depends on weather and changes in accordance with time. In addition, it is sometimes difficult for sunlight to enter a room. Thus, there have been drawbacks in making use of sunlight for actual therapy.
On the other hand, it has been known that light rays from a xenon lamp have spectral distribution close to that of sunlight. However, the light rays emitted from the xenon lamp have some defects as follows.
1. Harmful ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of not longer than 280 nm are included. Such ultraviolet rays indeed have a strong bactericidal action but have a damaging effect on skin.
2. Excessive heat is generated by near infrared rays. Thus, irradiation cannot be carried out over a long period of time. In addition, it is difficult and dangerous to handle the light.
3. There are a large quantity of bright line spectra peculiar to the xenon lamp.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a light-ray therapeutic apparatus which has a therapeutic effect equivalent to that of sunlight; which does not depend on weather or time and can be used easily and for any desired period of time; which has no damaging effect on skin; and which is suitable particularly for therapy of decubitus ulcers or the like.
In order to solve the problems, the invention provides a light-ray therapeutic apparatus having: a xenon illuminating lamp including a lamp body, a lamp holder provided in the lamp body, a xenon lamp held by the lamp holder, a reflecting mirror for reflecting light emitted from the xenon lamp, and a multilayer film coating-type spectral correction filter provided in a front portion of the lamp body; wherein, of light emitted from the xenon lamp, energy of ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of not longer than 280 nm is cut off perfectly by the spectral correction filter, and spectral coincidence in an ultraviolet wavelength range of 280-400 nm, spectral coincidence in a visible wavelength range of 380-780 nm, and spectral coincidence in an infrared wavelength range of 780-2,500 nm are made 100xc2x130% respectively, while the spectral coincidence is defined as a ratio of relative energy distribution of the light of the xenon illuminating lamp to relative energy distribution of the reference sunlight.
In the light-ray therapeutic apparatus according to the invention, of rays radiated from the xenon lamp having a wavelength distribution close to that of sunlight rays, harmful ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of not longer than 280 nm are cut off by the multilayer film coating-type spectral correction filter. Accordingly, the strong bactericidal action is avoided so that there is no fear of damaging the skin. Further, the spectral coincidence is made 100xc2x130% in all the above-mentioned wavelength bands so that rays closely approximating to sunlight can be obtained. Excessive heat generation in irradiation with the rays is prevented, and a large quantity of bright line spectra peculiar to the xenon lamp are suppressed. Thus, the light-ray therapeutic apparatus according to the invention can be used as alternative light for obtaining equivalent medical efficacy to the sunlight. In addition, the light-ray therapeutic apparatus according to the invention does not depend on weather or time and allows therapy at any time and for any desired period of time. Further, the light-ray therapeutic apparatus according to the invention allows ease of use and indoor therapy.
Further, preferably, the spectral correction filter is constituted by a glass substrate, and indium oxide, aluminum oxide, tin oxide, magnesium fluoride, etc. deposited in multi-layers on the glass substrate, so that rays of the xenon lamp having the aforementioned spectral characteristic can be obtained.
Further, preferably, being attached to a stand, the xenon illuminating lamp is attached to a stand adjustable in height and adjustable in irradiation angle, and irradiation time can be controlled by a timer, so that the irradiated energy of the rays can be adjusted.